Notes:
---A synthesis of [3′,4′-13C2]thymidine (1) is described in which [13C2]acetic acid (2) is converted into the nucleoside in twelve steps with 9% overall yield. D-2-Deoxyribose-5-phosphate aldolase (DERA, EC 4.1.2.4) and triosephosphate isomerase (TPI, EC 5.3.1.1) are used for the stereocontrolled formation of D-[3,4-13C2]-2-deoxyribose-5-phosphate (8) from [2,3-13C2]dihydroxyacetone monophosphate (DHAP, 7) and acetaldehyde in 80% yield. The route permits the introduction of isotopically enriched carbon atoms at any position or combination of positions in the furanose ring and the product can be coupled with any of the four naturally occurring base moieties.

Notes:
A synthetic route to stable-isotope-substituted L-phenylalanine is presented, which allows the introduction of 13C, 15N, and deuterium labels at any position or combination of positions. For labelling of the aromatic ring, a synthetic route to ethyl benzoate (or benzonitrile) has been developed, based on the electrocyclic ring-closure of a 1,6-disubstituted hexatriene system, with in situ aromatization by elimination of one (amino) substituent. Several important (highly isotopically enriched) synthons have been prepared, namely benzonitrile, benzaldehyde, ethyl benzoate, and ethyl diphenyloxyacetate. Labelled L-phenylalanines have been synthesized from both aromatic precursors by initial conversion into sodium phenylpyruvate and subsequent transformation of this intermediate into the L-α-amino acid by an enzymatic reductive amination reaction. In this manner, highly enriched phenylalanines are obtained on the 10-gram scale and with high enantiomeric purities (≥ 99% ee). The method has been validated by the synthesis of [1′-13C]-L-Phe and [2-D]-L-Phe. In addition, two methods are described for the introduction of isotopes into L-tyrosine starting from the isotopically enriched precursors benzonitrile and ethyl benzoate.

Notes:
The isotopically labelled C-terminal fragment of zervamicin, H-Hyp10-[4,4-2H2-Gln]-Aib-Hyp-Aib-Pro-Phl16, has been synthesized in solution by a Fmoc/tert-butyl strategy in 28% overall yield. The Fmoc group was removed by reaction for 2 min with 0.1 M NaOH in dioxane/methanol/water, (30:9:1, v:v:v). The couplings of the sterically hindered Aib residues were achieved by means of either BOP/DMAP activation or Fmoc-Aib-Cl. Acid deprotection of the peptide was performed by reaction with 50% TFA in CH2Cl2 for 30 min without significant cleavage of the acid-labile Aib-Pro and Aib-Hyp peptide bonds.